A Revelation in the Light of Day: Turquoise Dreams
by Wyvernhail
Summary: All she wanted was to be seen for who she was: Hinata. Not as the eldest daughter who had renounced her birthright or the girl who couldn't speak for herself. It was he, the only one who could see right through her, the one with the turquoise eyes. AU
1. Choice

**_A/N:_** This is another story in the _A Revelation in the Light of Day_ series. This is a HinaTōshi story. I did say that I wanted to write stories about uncommon pairings, and although there are some stories with these two, I think there are not enough (like say SasuHina which I love _dearly_). I don't know how long this story will be but I can say that it will be more than five chapters long *crosses fingers*. Let's just see where this takes me. Read and enjoy.

**_Rating:_**** M**… oh yes… there will be lemons. Just later.

**_Disclaimer:_** I do not own Naruto or Bleach. Thank you Masashi Kishimoto and Tite Kubo for creating these wonderful characters.

_Choice_

She couldn't even begin to explain the feeling that consumed her. The feeling of knowing there were endless possibilities that lay ahead of her. Nothing could hold her back now; not the expectations of aristocratic family members she wasn't even close to nor really cared about and not the assumptions people who didn't know her made in reference to her and her… problem. A problem— that's what her pompous family saw her meek personality, and at times her whole existence as. She had always been shy and quiet, she was never imposing, yet her family still saw her as a nuisance; the weak link in the family.

No matter how valuable and important she was to her father— Hiashi Hyūga, owner and president of the infamous Hyūga Corporation— no matter how much he loved her and stood up for her, they would never acknowledge her. She had been overshadowed by her little sister as soon as her talents became known. Hanabi was everything Hinata should have been in their eyes. She was strong-willed, assertive, and outgoing; every characteristic the older sister lacked. The only problem was that that was what the elders, members of Hyūga Corp.'s Board of Trustees, only wanted to see from Hanabi. They didn't know that the youngest Hyūga was as kind and gentle as her sister, the one that had raised her ever since their mother passed away. Even her close relationship with her cousin Neji, the Hyūga genius, had not made them think that maybe— just maybe— there was something more to Hinata than met the eye.

The fact that the Board had fought tooth and nail against Hiashi and Hizashi, Neji's father and her father's twin brother, in order to strip away any possibility that Hinata would have assumed her role as heir in the company once she graduated from college was proof enough of their disdain for her. Not that she wanted to assume her birthright and take over the company to begin with; she held no attraction for the cold-cut business world she'd be devoured by, especially with the piranhas the company had for a Board. No thank you, she'd gladly pass up that _privilege_— and she had indeed passed it up, much to the elders' relief and they sure made it known, for Neji would be taking her place. He had always been more deserving of that role than she was; he had shown qualities a true Hyūga leader possessed at a very young age. He demonstrated an understanding of the business world and finances that astounded everyone, making everything seem incredibly easy, even now there were many things that Hinata didn't understand and was glad she didn't have to anymore. Neji was a genius plain and simple. He was assertive and was as stubborn as a person could get. The Board didn't know that though— they hoped that with Neji as President they would be able to do things in the company they had long wanted to do but were unable to with Hiashi around— but little did they know that things would get worse with Neji. He had known for years about their hate for Hinata and he hated them for it. Her cousin was no fool; he was already onto them and for that she was glad. Not that the avarice in each and every one of the elders was difficult to see.

Hinata was relieved that she would not take part in that world in fact just thinking about it was sure to send a chill down her spine. She finally had the freedom to _choose_ what she wanted, to do with her life as she pleased, something she had never been able to do before. Everything she had gone through before didn't matter now. She had left behind that girl— the one that stuttered and was extremely self-conscious, the one that had low self-esteem and no self-confidence— and had become an entirely different person. She at times found herself with a confidence she didn't even know she had and an assertiveness that would make Neji proud… and she had her friends to thank for that.

When she was eight, her family moved to Karakura. They had left her hometown Konoha behind for the family's business; as the company grew, the more they had to sacrifice, leaving behind friends and relatives for bigger opportunities. Her first year at Karakura, she became acquainted with two girls that would forever change her life— Orihime Inoue and Tatsuki Arisawa. The two were as opposite can be when it came to their personalities. Inoue was like her in a lot of ways, she was quiet and shy at times but had a quirky personality that drew others in. Orihime was extremely kind and selfless. Tatsuki on the other hand, was very assertive, almost aggressive at times, and stood up for what she believed in.

It was while Tatsuki took one of her countless stands for her beliefs that she first met them. Tatsuki beat up two bullies that were older than them for picking on Hinata and making her cry. Orihime, being the kind soul that she is, ran to her side to see if she was okay as Tatsuki continued to beat on the boys. From that day on, the three became inseparable and were rarely seen without the other two. The more time she spend with her friends and Orihime's aunt Rangiku Matsumoto, the more her confidence developed; Tatsuki and Rangiku together were _really_ something else. When high school came around, Tatsuki had to threaten several of the boys— and girls— for wanting to get a little too close to her and Orihime. She had actually beaten quite a few. Hinata couldn't see why they were drawn to her, she could see why they liked Orihime— her friend had a caring personality to go along with her natural beauty. She couldn't see why they liked her.

After several years, she was finally beginning to see why. Hinata had never thought of herself as pretty, but as she got older she began to see the likeness she had with her mother. She had her mother's midnight blue hair, which she had finally let grow to reach her waist in length and was slightly layered; she had straight cut bangs that accentuated her unique lavender eyes and longer strands on the side of her face that framed it very well. She also had her mom's porcelain complexion and full petal pink lips. Hinata had always known her mother was beautiful and the more she saw she resembled her mother, the better she felt about herself every day.

High school had not been without its trials. While she had gained numerous and invaluable friends— their small group of three gained _fourteen_ new members consisting of Sakura, Rukia, Chizuru, Ino, Tenten, Ichigo, Uryū, Chad, Keigo, Mizuiro, Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, and her little sister Hanabi— she had also experienced heartbreak. She knew she wasn't the only one but it didn't make things any easier. Orihime was experiencing her very own personal little hell with Ichigo and Rukia; she had loved him for years and hoped that one day he would look her way and _see_ her, but when Rukia moved to Karakura that hope died. It had practically been love at first sight. Sakura was in love with Sasuke but he was not, he only had eyes for Tenten even though he never said it but everybody knew regardless, everyone knew except for her of course. The Uchiha held the hearts of many, his fan club _was_ extensive, yet the one that he really cared for paid no attention to him and saw him as one of her closest friends.

She longed for a special someone too, and to her misfortune he didn't feel the same way. Hinata liked Naruto, she liked him a lot, and in fact she could say that she loved him. Naruto Uzumaki was sunshine and happiness personified and that's what drew her to him. He had been the first boy to ever see her as more than a shy girl, to see her as Hinata… a friend. Unfortunately that's all he ever saw her as for he was in love with someone else and had been for years— Sakura Haruno. She, however, did not return his feelings. Sakura loved Sasuke. Naruto had made his feelings known to Sakura numerous times but got turned down every single time. It all seemed like some twisted joke dealt by fate.

The last day of school she decided that it was time to face her fears. She knew Naruto would never love her like she wanted, but she felt it was something she needed to do. She saw it as the last hurdle she had to get through in order to finally move on.

School was finished for the day and everybody was in a rush to get out and start enjoying their summer vacation to the fullest before the start of college life in the fall. She was walking with Orihime, Tatsuki, Sakura, Tenten, and Ino. Ichigo and Rukia had run off as soon as the bell rang. Uryū and Chad had said something about prior engagements. Keigo was walking in front of them crying outrageous fake tears and questioning Mizuiro about not inviting him to a trip to Hawaii for the summer, in between sobs he said something about "babes". When they reached the gates, she spotted just who she had been hoping to see; the head of blonde spiky hair was hard to miss. Next to him Sasuke rolled his eyes at something Naruto said and had a bored expression on his face. When Sasuke saw them approach, he turned his suddenly interested attention to Tenten and gave her a rare smile.

When Naruto saw what had taken Sasuke's attention away from him, he smiled brightly in greeting. "Hey guys- err… I mean girls! What are you gonna do for the summer? Any plans?" He asked hopefully.

"Actually, we were talking about taking a trip to the beach before the end of the summer. Most of us are going to the same university, but it would be nice to hang out as a group before school starts in the fall. We don't know when we'll be able to see each other again." Tatsuki offered. "You know Naruto, why don't we let Hinata fill you in on the details. Orihime and I have some shopping to do, so please walk her home for us." Hinata was about to protest but kept quiet when Tatsuki winked at her and pulled Orihime away. "Thanks Naruto, you're a true gentleman!"

Orihime waved excitedly at Hinata before she couldn't see them anymore. No doubt in her mind they were trying to give her the opportunity to be alone with Naruto, after she told them about her plans to finally confess to him they all but swore to her they'd help her out any way they could. In a way she was glad she could be a distraction, she saw Orihime was happier, a telltale sign that she was beginning to move on from what had happened last year with Ichigo and Rukia, even if it was at her expense.

Tenten had lagged behind, and Sasuke quickly got to her before she could leave. "Uh… Tenten… could I talk to you for a moment?" He seemed nervous, which was out of character for him. Tenten smiled at him before she let him lead her away from them. Hinata saw that Sakura and Ino had stayed behind as well, and when Sasuke and Tenten walked away together Sakura's usually cheerful expression turned to a sad one. Ino not missing a beat saw her best friend's cause for pain and immediately dragged her away.

Hinata couldn't help feeling bad for her friend Sakura. She knew what it must have felt like seeing the one you love walking away with someone else. She was brought out of her reverie by a nudge on her arm. "Hina did you hear what I said?" He asked worriedly completely unaware of what had just happened.

"I'm sorry Naruto, what were you asking me?"

Naruto chuckled lightly, "Seriously Hinata, sometimes you're more distracted than I am! I was asking if you were ready to go." Hinata smiled at her personal ray of sunshine and nodded.

About half of the walk home was filled with silence. Hinata had been pondering about what she was going to tell him. She knew she had to tell him now; she would never get a chance like this. "Naruto- there's something I've been wanting to tell you." She started tentatively and was glad that she didn't stutter.

Naruto ever oblivious asked her cheerfully, "Sure Hinata, you can tell me anything."

Hinata stayed quiet for a moment longer until she stopped walking. She realized they were a block away from her house, and Naruto began to grow concerned at her sudden stop and at the frown marring her features. "You see Naruto— I wanted to tell you that I've admired you ever since I met you. You have always been very confident in yourself and very positive. You are always happy and you spread that happiness to those around you." She smiled a little. "You were my first male friend; the first one that saw me as something more than an annoying stuttering girl. You saw me as me… you saw me as Hinata."

Naruto looked confused, "Well that's because you are Hinata. You are the most caring and unselfish person that I know." He grabbed her by the shoulders as he looked deeply into her lavender eyes. "You are one of my closest friends."

There it was— the "f" word— rearing its ugly head. The one she really didn't want to hear right now. In spite of herself she smiled. "I know Naruto and you're one of my closest friends too. But- I wanted to tell you that I see you as something more than that." Naruto just looked flat out lost now. "You see Naruto I-I love you. I have felt that way for a long time now."

Naruto let her go as if he had been burned by the physical contact. For a while he was speechless, "Hina I-"

Hinata knew what he was going to say, she had always known. She shook her head, "You don't have to say anything. I-I've always known you see me only as a friend." She had to look down and bite the inside of her lip to keep her voice from trembling and the overwhelming tears from coming out. "I've always known you love Sakura."

When she looked up at Naruto she saw that he had a look as if he had been slapped across the face. Great, now she was making him feel guilty too. It wasn't his fault he didn't love her. It wasn't his fault he loved Sakura, she was a great person, a great friend, and she was beautiful. It was Hinata who had come along and interrupted the order of things. Maybe if she had met him a long time ago… maybe he would've fallen in love with her and not Sakura. But it was too late now for maybes. She knew this was how it was going to happen, but it didn't numb the pain any less. It didn't stop the feeling of being torn to pieces.

Naruto was still speechless, for all his happiness and sunshine there was nothing he could say that would make things any easier or hurt less. "I-I'm sorry Hinata. I'm sorry I don't love you back." He looked as if he wanted to cry as badly as she did. "I've known Sakura for as long as I can remember, and… I've loved her for just as long. If I could change things I would Hina, I promise I would! I know she loves Sasuke and she'll never feel the same way about me, but I can't help it."

He had poured his heart out to her and that in a way made her feel slightly better. She smiled and rested her hand gently on his cheek. "I know Naruto. Despite knowing who your heart belongs to, I just felt that I had to tell you. I had to do it in order to move on somehow. I don't blame you and much less hate you. I want us to still be friends like we have been all this time." She was trying so hard not to cry in front of him, she couldn't let him see that.

Naruto hugged her then and it made it that much harder for her not to break down in his arms. "You're my most precious friend Hina. I don't want to lose you." Why was this so hard?

"You won't Naruto. I'll always be your friend." She would keep her promise, no matter how much it hurt her, no matter how much it killed her to see him and not have him like she wanted to. She knew it would hurt more if he was not a part of her life… even if they were only friends.

Naruto tightened his grip as he kissed the top of her head. "I promise to be by your side, Hina. Always…" He gently broke away from her before walking away. There was nothing more that could be said or done. Not now.

Hinata wasn't sure but she thought she saw tears fall as he walked away. She had turned away and didn't dare look back at him. When she couldn't hear his footsteps anymore she knew he was gone. She ran the rest of the way home before the pain became too much too bear and consumed her.

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><p><strong><em>AN:_** This chapter is a bit short, but I think it served its introductory purpose. Just to make a few things clear, there will be other stories in this series being updated at the same time. So… depending on the reviews a story gets, that's the one that gets updated first. Don't get me wrong, I will still continue with all of my stories, but just depending on which one gets the best response is the one that will take priority. That goes for all my stories. So please read and review. I love getting feedback! Thank you for reading my story!

**_-Wyvernhail_**


	2. Despair

_**A/N:**_ When I was first typing this chapter, this story was going to get updated first, but _Hierro_ ended up having more reviews and this one came in second. _This World Can't Tear Us Apart_ has already been updated (chapter 9 is out!) and _Crimson_ and _Hierro_ will be updated soon. Thank you to everybody that reviewed! In case I didn't get to reply to you I'm sorry but I'm still super grateful. I'm changing my paragraph dividers again because the other ones ended up looking like crosses and they were supposed to be swords/dagger looking things. They looked super cute on Word when I put them in between my paragraphs I just don't know what happened…

_**Rating:**_ M

_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Bleach or Naruto.

_**Despair**_

She had been devastated to say the least. She had poured her heart out to Naruto only to be rejected, just as was expected. His love for Sakura had been a part of him for so long that he hadn't even considered giving them a chance. She could have made him very happy. When she got home after her confession to Naruto, she locked herself in her room for the remainder of the day. Hanabi knocked on her door to let her know dinner was ready and her father and Neji were waiting for her, but she told her that she was feeling under the weather and did not want to risk giving them something. Later that night Neji stopped by her door and when he knocked she simply ignored it, feigning sleep she knew would not come that night.

She didn't want to face them. One look at her and they would know what was wrong. Her love for the Uzumaki had been no secret in the Hyūga household, much to her mortification, and they would know at once that her despair was linked to the blonde. It was a natural talent the Hyūgas possessed— _nothing_ escaped their eyes. She lay on her bed crying until she could produce no more tears and eventually fell asleep for a few hours.

She was woken by a soft knock on her door. At first she thought she had dreamt it, but when it became more persistent she realized someone was at her door.

Behind it she heard her sister's voice, "Hinata, you have a visitor." She wondered who it was. "It's Ori."

Hinata felt almost instantly better at the mention of her friend. She knew she was there to find out how things had gone and Hinata really felt like she needed someone right now. "I'll-" she cleared her throat, "I'll be right there just give me a second."

She jumped out of her bed and ran to her bathroom to clean up. When she saw her reflection in the mirror she didn't recognize herself. The glow that defined Hinata was gone, and in its wake was a poor imitation. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying all night, and her lips were dry and chapped. She quickly washed her face with cold water and brushed her teeth before heading to the door.

She opened it just enough to let Orihime in, she didn't want her sister to see her like this. "Good morn-" she tried to say but was cut off when Hinata grabbed her wrist and pulled her in.

Orihime waited for her eyes to adjust to the light of the room; despite it being mid morning it was rather dark. Hinata had closed the heavy curtains and most of the natural sunlight that regularly lit the room was kept out. When she finally got a look at her best friend she gasped. Her eyes were red and swollen, from crying all night she was sure. Things must not have gone well with Naruto. "Hina…" was all she said before she pulled the lavender eyed girl into a sisterly embrace.

That was all it took for Hinata to keep up appearances and she broke down once again, but this time in the arms of the person that had become like a sister to her and she only cried harder. Her cries turned into sobs as Orihime held her and she cried along with her. The pain she was feeling now was something she was all too familiar with and was still not fully over. When Hinata finally stopped, she allowed Orihime to take her to her to the edge of her bed.

Orihime pulled away and tried to wipe the tears from her best friend's eyes but they would not stop flowing silently from her lavender eyes. "Ori- I…" her voice sounded strangled. "I t-told him but he- he only loves Sakura." That only brought a new onslaught of tears. "I told him that I've admired him— that I've loved him for _years_ and he said he was s-sorry for not l-loving me."

Orihime felt the sting in her eyes again and bit her lip, "I'm sorry Hina. I'm so sorry you have to go through this pain." It hurt her to see her like this. Hinata was always happy, especially when it concerned Naruto except that now _he _was the cause of her sorrow.

Hinata sniffled and wiped her eyes roughly, "I knew this would happen though. I-I've always known who his heart belongs to yet I still told him about my feelings."

"It was something that you had to do though. You couldn't keep that to yourself and he would not have figured it out on his own." Orihime offered.

Hinata gave half a smile, "No he wouldn't have; he was shocked when I told him." Her face turned somber once again, "But you know what? I can't hate him… or Sakura. I love them both too much for that and I just want their happiness." Orihime knew exactly how she felt. "We promised each other that we would stay friends no matter what happened."

The sunset haired girl smiled approvingly at her. "It will be difficult at first though. Even if you did promise to stay friends."

Hinata nodded slowly before she lay back on her bed. Orihime did the same and they lay facing each other. "I love him so much, Ori. How am I going to get over him? Will I ever get over him? Will I ever get over the pain?" New tears left her eyes.

Orihime stayed silent for a moment before answering. "I don't know if you'll get over him. I'm not over Ichigo…" she added almost as a side note. "After a while the pain _does_ go away and you start feeling it less and less, until it only becomes a small tug in your heart every time you see him. But seeing his happiness is what makes it all worthwhile… even if it's not at your side."

Hinata only nodded. How was it that Orihime always knew what to say and always knew what she felt? That was all she wanted— Naruto's happiness— even if it was in the arms of another. She hoped that one day Sakura felt the same way about him, that would be Naruto's ultimate happiness. Hinata hugged Orihime and nestled her forehead on her neck.

The taller girl smiled warmly and played with the midnight blue tresses. Hinata was stronger than she gave herself credit for and she _would_ get through this. Her Hinata… always so selfless. She stayed with her until she fell asleep then quietly slipped out the door.

As she closed the door she was startled by a tall figure looming over her. "N-Neji." She questioned. She mentally face palmed herself. Of course it was Neji, who else would it be? "W-what are you doing here?" Again with the dumb questions.

Neji would have laughed if he didn't have such great control of his emotions, but he still couldn't help the small upturn on one side of his lips. "You forget I live here Orihime."

Orihime's cheeks tinted pink at the obvious answer, "Oh yes! Silly me, how could I forget?"

Neji would have loved to tease her some more, her reactions amused him to no end, but there was something else that was more pressing at the moment. "Is something wrong with Hinata?"

"W-why do you ask? Why would there be something wrong with Hinata?" Orihime turned pale.

"She didn't come out of her room for dinner last night, and she hasn't come out of her room all morning. She's always up early and I don't buy that she's sick. Not to mention that you're a terrible liar." His face was impassive he needed to know what was wrong with his cousin. "Does it have to do with Naruto, and don't lie to me Orihime."

It scared her how he always knew things. She couldn't tell him what had happened, it wasn't hers to share but she needed to hold him off at least for a little bit. Her nervousness faded and was replaced by sadness, sadness at her friend's heartache. Neji noticed and became more worried. "Look Neji, I can't tell you what's wrong, Hinata has to be the one to tell you if she wishes. But… all I can tell you is that… can you do me a favor Neji?" He was becoming increasingly alarmed she had never asked him for anything. "Can you give her some time? She just needs some time for herself— and can you please ask the same of Hanabi?"

Neji just stood there frozen. What could have happened that had his cousin like this? It had to be something major. He was finally able to nod in response. Orihime smiled appreciatively at him before she gently touched his arm, "Thank you, Neji."

Neji looked at her retreating back. When had Orihime grown up? Why had he never noticed? He gently touched his arm where Orihime's fingers had been only seconds before. She had left his skin tingling with her touch.

* * *

><p>Her cousin and her sister had not plagued her with questions that would only stir up feelings she had been trying to suppress for several weeks. It was no longer a question of if they knew what had happened, but more of why they hadn't brought it up. Hanabi was extremely inquisitive in nature and always wanted to know what was going on in the life of her older sister, while Neji although more stoic was extremely overprotective of her and overreacted when it came to her. She loved him dearly, he was like an older brother rather than her cousin, but at times he would go overboard. Orihime and Tatsuki came to visit her regularly; maybe during one of those visits Neji had scared the truth out of Orihime. She knew Neji did not intimidate Tatsuki, since they were kids their strong personalities clashed constantly and they tended to stay away from each other unless Hinata was involved. She made a mental note to ask the grey eyed girl later if her cousin had interrogated her.<p>

Before she knew it the week of the long awaited trip to the beach was looming over her and she wondered if she could actually go and face Naruto. She knew she would have to face him eventually, he was very dear to her even after everything that happened, but in the end she couldn't help but question if it was too soon— it had only been a month since that day. Her doubt dwindled exponentially with the help of Tatsuki and Orihime who offered her moral support every second of the trip, and Tatsuki even offered to beat up Naruto if need be. She still felt down but with friends like them she couldn't do anything else but agree.

The day before the trip the gang called each other on an hourly basis almost to make sure that everything was good to go. They had all been able to get a hold of each other with the exception of Sakura. When Ino was questioned if she had heard anything from her she said she hadn't. Hinata found it odd since the pink haired girl was one of the ones that had been looking forward to their time together the most. The following morning when everybody had met up at Hinata's house Sakura had been a no show. Orihime, Hinata, and Tatsuki shared a quizzical look amongst each other then turned to Ino for an answer. The blonde looked back at them pleadingly as if there was something she wanted to say but couldn't share with them and their worry began to grow.

The girls— Chizuru, Ino, Hanabi, Hinata, Orihime, Tatsuki, Rukia, and Tenten at the wheel since she was the only one with a driver's license— rode together in one van. Neji drove the other and that group consisted of Chad, Ichigo, Keigo, Naruto, Mizuiro, Uryū, and Sasuke. The drive, to everyone's relief, had only taken about an hour. When they arrived everything seemed ordinary. Rukia had hit Ichigo over the head and he was rubbing it vigorously as if that would make the pain go away. Keigo was talking to Mizuiro animatedly while he texted away on his cell phone. Naruto, Uryū, Chad and Neji were attempting to unload the ice chests from the vans. Hanabi, Ino, and Hinata helped unload the smaller items and Hinata paused when she heard Orihime's startled yelp. Chizuru was hugging her well endowed top half very inappropriately and it was making even Hinata blush, but she was in a way relieved when Tatsuki punched her square in the face for touching Orihime. Hinata laughed— Chizuru and Tatsuki never changed.

She continued to look amongst the group when she spotted Tenten and Sasuke. At first Hinata didn't think anything of it; the two were very close friends, but upon closer inspection she saw that something was different. Sasuke still looked at Tenten in that affectionate way but it was unguarded somehow and that in itself was rare. She looked at Tenten and saw that she looked at him in the very same way, and when her hand lightly graced his arm they both blushed intensely at the contact. She turned to see if she had been the only one that had seen the intimate exchange, but saw that Orihime, Tatsuki, Ino, and in the distance Uryū and Rukia had seen it as well. Sadly she had not been imagining things.

Realization hit her as she deduced that this must have been the reason why Sakura had not been present. Somehow she must have found out and had not been able to tolerate seeing them together and Hinata didn't blame her. Just like she knew her friends wouldn't blame her either for her absence. She wondered if it had happened since that last day of school when she had seen Sasuke pull Tenten aside to talk to her, and had also seen the despair in Sakura's eyes when she witnessed the same thing… that day things had felt different.

Not once did they show more physical contact than they usually did, except the occasional blush whenever they touched accidentally. Though to Hinata the way they now acted around each other had been enough. She was happy for Tenten, she was a close friend and deserved to be happy, she deserved to fall in love, and she was extremely happy for Sasuke too. Despite it all, Hinata couldn't help the hurt that she felt for Sakura. Orihime had been hurt the same way, her pain was the same, and now it was Sakura's as well.

Whenever her lavender eyes met with gray, blue, violet, or brown they reflected the same empathetic feeling they all felt for their emerald eyed friend. The rest of the day had not gone fast enough, the only thought on Hinata's mind was seeing Sakura. Her discomfort of being around Naruto for the first time since her rejection had not crossed her mind _once_ that day and was long forgotten. In fact _he_ had not crossed her mind.

* * *

><p>After calling her multiple times Hinata gave up and visited Sakura the following day, and when she saw her she had been heartbroken. Sakura was devastated as was to be expected, and it looked like the girl had hardly slept in days, maybe longer, and had lost weight. It had all hit her harder than Hinata would have thought, but Sakura had loved Sasuke since they were kids, she had loved him her whole life. She stayed with her for a few hours she didn't want to give her time alone to think about things. Orihime visited her later during the day and insisted that Hinata go home and only after she promised she wouldn't leave Sakura alone for long did Hinata do so.<p>

The rest of the summer was spend in a similar fashion, they would all take turns visiting Sakura, afraid to leave her alone for extended periods of time. In the process of looking out for her friend, Hinata failed to notice her affliction, and didn't have much time do so. Her days were split up between Sakura, Neji, Hanabi, and the rest of her friends. By the time she was home and it was time for her to sleep, she wasn't even allowed time for her thoughts to stray— she was so exhausted that by the time her head hit the pillow she was out. She hadn't even seen Naruto he had taken a trip with his godfather Jiraiya and wouldn't be back until before school started. His absence would help her heal and she needed that.

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><p>The summer was finally over and with it came the beginning of the new stage of her life. It was the day she would be moving out of her home where she had lived most of her life with her father, Neji, and Hanabi. She would be leaving all of that behind to move in to the apartment by campus with Orihime and Tatsuki. She would be lying if she said she wasn't excited, luckily it had all worked it out so that they would all be living in the same apartment complex, and from what Tatsuki had told her most of them would be staying on the same floor.<p>

Her father had taken the morning free from work. Despite what his personality led people to believe he loved his daughters, he did not show his affection freely— he was a Hyūga after all— but he showed it in the things he did for them. This day was important… the eldest daughter would finally leave the nest. Even Neji, who had moved out during the summer, was there today. He would be driving Hinata to her new place along with Hanabi and help her get settled. After a tearful goodbye, on her part anyway, with her father and a promise to visit at least weekly they were on their way.

The multiple apartments complex surrounded the campus and at first sight of them Hinata was impressed. It was her first time seeing them since Tatsuki had arranged all of the paperwork. The apartments were very large buildings and looked very luxurious; that explained why even after they were splitting the rent in three it was still expensive. The building was comprised of very large windows; she was anxious to see the view they would provide at night and the gorgeous sunrise she was sure she would see. The surrounding greenery was nothing to overlook either, the hedges were trimmed expertly and Japanese maples surrounded them on all sides. She could see a very large parking garage in the back of the building, as high as the building itself, and she could see very luxurious and expensive cars in the distance.

"Wow they're huge! Are you sure these are college apartments Hinata because they sure don't look like it to me!" Hanabi as always spoke what was on her mind even though they were all probably thinking along the same lines.

She could tell even Neji was impressed, well as far as Neji facial expressions went, and surveyed the complex and the surrounding area. "The housing on campus is adequate— worthy of a Hyūga." Of course he would say something like that. She was glad it was up to his standards knowing him he'd make her move out before she even moved in.

Hanabi scoffed at his remark, "Adequate my a-"

"Hanabi-" Hinata interrupted before she could continue. Her little sister had been hanging around Neji too much when one of his roommates Hidan was around. He did not have the nicest language in her opinion, in fact his language was actually pretty foul.

Neji send a frown Hanabi's way scolding her for catching on to his roommate's habits but she ignored him. "It's more than 'adequate' and makes me want to come here when I graduate."

'_It's all so beautiful,'_ Hinata thought and she couldn't wait to see the room she'd be spending the next fours years of her life in. This was the freedom she had longed for… the one she deserved.

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><p><em><strong>AN:**_ I rewrote this chapter several times and I deleted even more parts of it. I didn't want it to overlap with _Hierro_ too much or with the next chapter of _Crimson_ and this was the last draft. I wanted to add more, but I thought this was long enough. Hitsugaya will more than likely be introduced next chapter hopefully I don't get too caught up in my descriptions. I hope you liked this chapter as well. If you have any suggestions or comments please let me know. Thank you for reading this chapter! Reviews are food for my unreliable muse!

_**-Wyvernhail**_


	3. Tension

_**A/N:**_ I wanted to thank blackirishawk, KoreanGal5, and MystereKitsune for their reviews. I think I replied to each of you individually but it's kind of hard to keep track since you all have reviewed other stories. Thank you, you guys are awesome! I want to apologize if I'm not updating this story as fast as some of you would like, but _This World Can't Tear Us Apart_ and _Hierro_ get more feedback than this one. I did say the updates would depend on the feedback. Anyway, on with the story!

_**Rating:**_ M

_**Disclaimer:**_ Do not own Naruto or Bleach, and therefore do not own any of the characters Masashi Kishimoto and Tite Kubo have so kindly created for us.

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><p><em><strong>Tension<strong>_

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She had settled in to her new apartment successfully and while there had been a few bumps along the road, mainly Neji's and Tatsuki's apparent dislike for one another, it had all gone smoothly. Hinata hoped their animosity would change for they would all be spending a lot of time together; her cousin's overprotective behavior towards her would only worsen now that they were attending college.

The week before classes started had been pretty uneventful. She had walked the campus grounds daily to become familiar with it; she didn't want to be wandering through the halls on the first day trying to find her classes. By the end of the week she could get to her classes in her sleep. In her quest for familiarity, she found the library right in the middle of the Quad. She learned that was the term the student body and faculty used for the open area in the middle of campus where events were held and the different school clubs convened. Karakura University was huge and offered everything and anything to its faculty and students; technology that was still in its trial periods before going out in the market, advanced computers that were rumored to be unveiled to the public in at least another year, well those were a few of the things that were the norm at KU. She couldn't help but think that it was all unnecessary and over the top, but then again she was who she was and such things didn't faze her.

It was Friday night and after spending her whole day in the same manner she had most of the week, she decided it was time to retire to the apartment. Orihime had called her to let her know that all of their friends were at their apartment waiting for her. Hinata had forgotten that they had all agreed on having movie night at their place, they didn't know how heavy the school load would be and had all come to the consensus that they would spend at least one night out of the week together.

While it wasn't late, it was barely 8 P.M., the apartment complex looked deserted. It was the last weekend before the start of school and most would be out on the town having fun. She reached the elevator and saw that there was nobody waiting at the doors. She pressed the button and the doors opened immediately, she was relieved that it was already at the first floor and she wouldn't have to wait for it, it could take what seemed like forever sometimes.

She walked inside and pressed the button for her floor, as the doors closed she heard a male's voice call out, "Hold the doors!" She nervously reached to touch the button that would open the doors just as an arm wedged itself in between them. Sensing something obstructing its path the doors opened.

Hinata looked up only to meet a set of turquoise eyes, she had never seen such a pure shade. She felt heat rushing to her face and immediately looked away. Once he took his place next to her he cleared his throat, "Thank you."

She could feel he was uncomfortable as to the reason why she wasn't sure, maybe he wasn't used to thanking people. "Y-you're welcome." Darn her stutter for showing its ugly head at a moment like this!

The doors closed and the elevator began to ascend shortly. Hinata couldn't help herself and peeked at the young man next to her. He had features that made him stand out, she was sure she had never seen anyone quite like him. He stood about 5'6" or maybe 5'7"— she was never really good at guessing heights— he had snow white hair and she was tempted to run her fingers through it. When she caught herself she blushed at where her thoughts had strayed, he also had bright turquoise eyes in which she had been caught and felt unable to look away. He was wearing a jade green shirt, distressed medium tinted jeans, and Converse; everything about him had an aura of confidence. As the seconds passed she became aware of a scent that had started to overwhelm her senses. It seemed warm and inviting yet cool at the same time; she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. She dared glance briefly at him and was glad when she saw he didn't notice, or so she liked to think, and realized what his fair skin, jewel-like turquoise eyes, snow white hair, and scent reminded her off. If she could give winter itself a look and scent, it would have been something like him.

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His first week had not been what he was expecting. He had moved a day late to the apartment and it had not been his fault, he didn't like to blame things on other people but in this case it really had been because of somebody else. His godmother, Rangiku Matsumoto, had suddenly remembered that he would be starting school soon and had forbidden his grandmother to allow him to leave until she was there to see him off. His grandmother had of course agreed and had stalled for time thinking it would only be a couple of hours. Little did they know that the woman would be a day late! They should have known though, Rangiku insisted on being fashionably late everywhere she went.

To his mortification the loud blonde decided, on her own mind you, that she would be dropping him off at the apartment. He had insisted, no he had _begged _for her not to do so, that it wasn't necessary but she would hear none of it. She had to be there for "little Shiro" on this important transition in his life. Surprisingly enough she had not embarrassed him when they met his roommates. At first they had thought she was his mother but he made the clarification; he had seen a bit of disappointment in Rangiku's face when he clearly stated she was not his mother. She hadn't stayed for long, while she was oblivious most of the time she knew when she had overstayed her welcome. She left but not without first informing him that Orihime was attending the same university, and that she was living a few doors down the hall. _'What are the chances of that?' _He promised he would go visit her once he was settled. It was something he was actually looking forward to; the two had been close when they were younger but had drifted apart at a later age. He missed the red head for she was the only person in his life that had been something akin to a sister.

He had called his best friend Renji Abarai the following day. It was his second year at KU and had offered him and Momo a tour of the campus. Renji came to get Tōshirō at his apartment and he was pleasantly surprised when Shūhei Isagi and Izuru Kira were also at his door; all three were upperclassmen and in the same year. They had all grown up together. They picked up his childhood friend Momo Hinamori which he found out lived on the floor below theirs. Tōshiro was really starting to believe these were not all just coincidences. They spent the day roaming around campus and finally came to the Student Union— which was located on the south side of the Quad and had all different types of restaurants— to eat dinner. They were all too busy joking around, well more like Shūhei and Renji were making fun of Izuru, when they were interrupted by a group he really didn't expect to see. Ikkaku Madarame, Yumichika Ayasegawa, Lisa Yadōmaru, Mashiro Kuna, and Hiyori Sarugaki were looking at them with different looks of surprise. They spent the first ten minutes pointing out that Tōshirō was not "little Shiro" anymore and congratulated him on finally growing almost a foot since they last saw him. He was still the shortest among the guys, but at least he was taller than the girls now. Despite being the center of their jokes, Tōshirō Hitsugaya had not felt this happy in a long time, his long time friends were here and they were all together again, the loneliness he had been feeling was gone.

He spent the rest of the week hanging out with them and meeting up at different places be it somewhere on campus or at somebody's apartment, he was not surprised to find that they all lived on campus. It was now Friday and it had been the only afternoon he had spent alone. Hinamori had invited him over for movie night with Lisa, Mashiro, and Hiyori but he had kindly declined— he was not going to be the only male among the females especially since he knew how they could get when they were together, he shivered involuntarily at the thought. Instead he had decided to spend his afternoon at the library and skimmed through several books during the time he was there.

It was still early, about 8 P.M., and he decided he was calling it quits for tonight. He really didn't want to go back to his apartment, it wasn't that he didn't like his roommates and while at first Grimmjow didn't like him because he was a freshman, he quickly accepted him. Ulquiorra he was able to get along with too, if you could call it that, they really didn't talk and were usually silent when they were around each other but it was bearable. Now Grimmjow and Ulquiorra were a different story, he could feel the tension as soon as he walked in the room and he wondered how they had managed to not kill each other in the past year before he got there. He at times wondered what happened between them to cause that tension but knew better than to ask, if they wanted him to know they would share in due time, and if not… well it was none of his business anyway.

He saw that the lobby was deserted; no doubt people were out partying and drinking before classes started on Monday. As he crossed the lobby he saw the elevator doors were closing and he ran to stop them. "Hold the doors!" He did not want to wait for the elevator to come back down it could take a good fifteen minutes or more at times since B-Complex was so large. He saw a small delicate hand reach for the buttons just as his arm wedged its way in. He looked down slightly only to meet lavender eyes and for a few moments was unable to look away. The petite girl was the first to break eye contact and he smirked when he saw she had become flustered and was blushing.

He walked in and stood next to her, the brief silence was becoming uncomfortable and he tried to say something but was unable to. He cleared his throat, "Thank you." He felt he should at least thank her for holding the doors.

Next to him he saw her jump slightly when he spoke but she recovered quickly, "Y-you're welcome." He quickly found out he liked the sound of her voice it was soft and very pleasant. He looked at the control pad by the door and was going to press the button to his floor, but was saw that it was already lit and she was going to the same floor. He dared to sideways glance at her and caught her looking away, she had been looking at him first. He noticed everything about her in a few seconds. Her midnight blue hair was up in a loose bun and her bangs framed her face nicely; she had a heart-shaped face and wore almost no make-up. Her porcelain skin stood out fiercely against the backdrop of her dark hair. Her full rosy lips were made more noticeable because of her fair skin, and what hypnotized him about her were those eyes— the almost pupil less large lavender eyes. She wore an ivory, off-the-shoulder, three-quarter sleeve, lace, and loose top paired off with vintage tint distressed jeans and peep toe, camel colored shoes. He could smell her because of their proximity and she smelled pleasantly of lavender. It wasn't overwhelming and the smell suited her perfectly.

The ride up was going slow, and not that he minded, but he could tell that she was uncomfortable. Her hands were clasped in front of her and she was fiddling with her fingers in front of her; he thought she looked cute but he was disappointed with the fact that it could have been him who was making her uncomfortable. Just as the elevator reached the seventh floor, it jerked to a stop and the lights went out.

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Hinata lost her balance momentarily when the elevator jerked to a halt but saved her self from falling flat on her face when she grabbed the railing that went all around. _'How convenient I bet they designed this for clumsy people like me!'_ She became alarmed at the darkness surrounding them and felt instant relief at not having been stuck in this situation alone. Thank God for sending the turquoise eyed guy when he did! The emergency lights quickly flashed on and she couldn't have been happier.

It all happened in a matter of seconds and when the soft glow of the lights illuminated them he turned towards her. "Are you alright?" He asked and from what she could see he had a true look of concern.

She swallowed to moisten her now completely dry mouth. "Y-yes I'm okay. How a-about you?" He nodded in response.

He quickly turned toward the control panel and saw the button that had an icon of an alarm on it. He pressed it but nothing happened. There was a metal door underneath and he opened it to find a phone. He picked it up and it automatically started ringing, he quickly glanced at her and heard somebody pick up the line on the other end.

"_Campus Security,"_ the male voice on the phone said.

"This is Tōshirō Hitsugaya. I am stuck in the elevator with another female on the seventh floor of B-Complex, and we need immediate assistance. The electricity has gone out and I'm not sure if it is just in this building or throughout the campus." Hinata was astounded at how he managed to keep his cool in a situation like this, she felt her knees were starting to shake.

"_Yes, I'm afraid it has happened all over campus. We have the best technicians working on the situation as we speak. I am sorry you are in this unfortunate situation. We will send somebody over immediately to B-Complex to solve the issue since you are now our priority. I will ask that you sit down. I don't know how long it will take, but the elevator will jolt to a start once the issue is fixed. I will keep in contact with you and let you know when our technicians have solved the problem." _The security seemed to have said in one breath.

"Thank you," the guy, Tōshirō, said before he hung up. Hinata quickly dropped to the floor and sat with her legs crossed and tucked underneath her thighs. _'I hope this doesn't take long.'_

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He turned back to look at her and saw that she had already sat down on the floor with her legs crossed and her hands clutching her knees tightly. She looked paler than she had when he first saw her and he became slightly worried. He took a seat next to her being careful not to sit to close. "Hey, are you sure you're okay?" She jumped at the sound of his voice and Tōshirō frowned slightly.

She turned to look at him with a crease in between her eyebrows. She nodded, "Y-yes, I'm okay."

He was not convinced. He could feel and see her uneasiness, "At least you're not alone." He wondered what would have happened if he hadn't stopped the elevator.

She turned to face him fully and smiled, Tōshirō liked her smile it lit up her whole face. "I was just thinking the same thing."

They remained quiet for several minutes; he didn't know what she was thinking about but he was thinking about possible ways to get out. He suddenly remembered his phone he could call any of the guys, he was sure they would at least try to do _something_, it was getting pretty stuffy in there. He mentally cursed. He didn't have his phone on him, he had left it behind on his bed. Surely she must have one! "Hey, do you have a cell phone on you by any chance?" He saw that she once again jumped.

She reached into her pocket and he saw that she was shaking. She took out a purple phone from her pocket and handed it to him. As he reached for it he saw that her shaking had gotten worse, and as she slipped the phone on his hand she quickly pulled away. He checked the phone and unlocked it, it wasn't password protected, and just his luck they had no reception. Great! There went that idea out the window. How long had they been in there? From what he saw on the phone and what he guessed they had been in there for a good twenty minutes.

It had gotten really stuffy and he was starting to sweat a little. He wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to look at the girl next to him; she was too quiet. He saw that she had her hands clasped tightly to the sides of her legs and was beginning to breathe with a little difficulty he could hear her raspy breathing. He reached out to touch her and she nearly jumped out of her skin. "Are you sure you're okay because you don't look alright to me. What's wrong?"

She still wouldn't face him but she answered. "I-I'm sorry, it's j-just t-that I-m a little c-claustrophobic…" She was beginning to hyperventilate and he could see her chest rising heavily with every breath she took.

His eyes widened as worry for the unknown girl overtook him. "Why didn't you tell me?" he almost growled. Why hadn't she told him something this important? "Look at me! _Look_ at me!" Slowly she turned to look at him. He was now sitting fully facing her and motioned for her to do the same. They sat there facing each other and Tōshiro began to panic. The realization that he didn't know her sank in, how was he supposed to calm her down? "What's your name?" It was a bit late and he figured he should have asked a long time ago, but now he saw the importance of it.

"H-Hinata H-Hyūga…" her breathing seemed to be getting worse.

"Okay Hinata, I need you to listen to me. Can you do that for me?" He saw her nod her head. "I'm going to need you to try and slow down your breathing. I know it's difficult for you to do, but I really need you to do it, okay?" He could see that she was trying to take slow deep breaths but her breathing was still shallow.

He acted only on instinct and held on to her hands grasping them tightly in his. He started to take deep breaths of his own and overemphasized them to try and get her to do the same. After several minutes her breathing slowed down a bit, but he could still hear her breathing with difficulty. "Good Hinata, you're doing well. Just take deep slow breaths and relax." He was increasingly becoming worried about her.

He had lost track of time, but eventually her breathing returned to semi-normal. Hinata still looked pale and shaken but he was glad he had been able to help her. He didn't want her dwelling on their situation so he decided on distracting her. "Tell me about yourself. Do you have any siblings? Is this your first year? What are you going to study?"

She looked at him blankly before she answered, "I-I'm 18 and I l-lived at h-home w-with my d-dad, my s-sister Hanabi, a-and my cousin N-Neji." She took several deep breaths before she continued. "I'm a f-freshman and I d-don't know w-what m-my major is y-yet."

"So you're still undecided." She was having a hard time talking so he decided it would be best if he did it for them. "My name is Tōshirō Hitsugaya and I am 18 years old. I lived with my grandmother and I don't have any siblings. I'm a freshman and I plan to major in engineering." Tōshirō hated how he sounded, his answers almost sounded robotic, and he was becoming bored with his own conversation but didn't know what to talk with her about. "I bumped into my old friends a few days ago; I hadn't seen them in a year since they all graduated the year before I did. I really thought I wouldn't see them again, but… it was a pleasant surprise." He really didn't know why he had shared that with her it seemed too personal to him.

He saw her smile warmly at him and he knew that he had said the right thing. "I'm so h-happy for y-you Tōshirō. I d-don't know what I-I would do w-without my f-friends. All of us except for t-three planned to go to the s-same college t-together. I know w-we wouldn't be able to stay a-apart for long… we've all grown very c-close." He was glad she was feeling better even her stutter had almost gone away. He made the mistake of looking into lavender eyes and was caught in them. He saw a warmth and understanding in them that he had not seen elsewhere. At that moment he realized how lonely and incomplete he felt, but as quickly as it had come it went away.

They were broken out of their trance when the phone rang. He reached for it, and realized that he had not let go of her hands the whole time. He picked it up and heard the same voice he had spoken to earlier.

"_Mr. Hitsugaya, this is the head of security. Our technicians have been able to fix the problem and will start the elevator as soon as I give them the signal. We are very sorry for the inconvenience and we apologize for taking so long to fix it. Are the both of you alright? Do you need any assistance?" _

Tōshirō looked at Hinata and saw that she had been looking at him intently. She had been able to hear the man and nodded slowly. "Yes we are both alright. Thank you for getting us out of here as soon as you could."

"_Please take a seat if you are not already doing so, the elevator will resume operation shortly." _He heard the click when the call had disconnected.

Tōshirō quickly hung up the phone and sat next to her just as the lights turned on and the elevator jerked. The low whirring let them know that they were once again moving. Tōshirō stood up and held out his hand to Hinata. She looked up at him and took his hand rising shakily to her feet. They heard the elevator ding when they reached eighth floor and the doors slid open. Tōshirō stepped out and waited for Hinata to follow, but saw her stumble and he caught her; she still hadn't fully recovered. He wrapped one arm around her waist and almost carried her out of the elevator and into the hallway, she held on to his right arm.

He could see the color had returned to her face and she was blushing, he was quickly becoming fond of that blush. "Which one is your apartment?" He was _not_ going to let her walk on her own. His grandmother had raised a gentleman.

She looked at him surprised. "Y-You don't have to do that Tōshirō. I've already troubled you enough-"

He scoffed, "As if I would leave you on your own after what you've just been through."

She looked down as her cheeks tinted. "Thank you, Tōshirō." She held on to his arm a little more tightly. "It's number 812."

It was close to his own and he smiled. She was closer than he thought. The walk down the hall seemed shorter than usual even though he had been going at Hinata's pace. Soon they were standing in front of her door and he knocked. He felt Hinata nudge him and he looked down. "I have a key," and she jiggled the keys in her hand. When she was about to insert them in the keyhole the door was opened.

"Hina, we've been so worried about you! You said you were coming home over an hour ago!" The one that opened the door was someone he had not been expecting. He took in the familiar shade of sunset hair, greeting them was Orihime Inoue. She seemed to notice him finally and tilted her head to the side, "Tōshirō is that you?"

Hinata looked puzzled back and forth between the two of them. "Y-you know each other?"

Tōshirō smiled at the grey eyed girl standing in front of him, "It's been a long time, Orihime."

Said girl threw an arm around him avoiding the side Hinata was on. "Tōshirō you've grown so much since the last time I saw you! I've missed you! Rangiku said you'd be starting school too, but she couldn't remember where. I never thought it would be here!" Hinata got their attention when she lost her balance once again, and it was then that Orihime saw his arm around Hinata. "What happened? Is Hinata alright?"

She moved out of the way as Tōshirō supported Hinata inside and they quickly stepped out of their shoes. "We were trapped inside the elevator when the electricity went out." He stated in a matter of fact manner.

Orihime gasped. "Oh, Hinata must have been terrified! She's claustrophobic!"

Great, this information would have been useful before. He saw a mob of people come towards them Hinata's friends he was sure. The one's she was so fond of. He heard everyone asking if she was okay. Then he spotted someone familiar. "Tōshirō?" He recognized the violet eyes immediately she hadn't grown in all this time.

"Rukia Kuchiki?" Who else could it have been?

She pushed her way through until she stood in front of them. "I never thought I'd see you here. I haven't seen you since I transferred to Karakura." Tōshirō nodded. "Have you seen Renji? I haven't been able to get a hold of him."

"Actually I have. I've seen him several times this week. As a matter of fact he's renting on the floor above us." He knew she would be really happy to know that. Renji had not shut up about how much he wanted to see his female best friend. He saw the huge smile on her face.

Orihime touched his arm lightly, "Tōshirō can you follow me to Hinata's room? I'm sure she needs to rest. She's had a tough night." He looked down at the girl who was still holding on desperately to his arm just as she looked at him. She smiled softly at him and he followed the red head. As he was walking across the living room he saw a blonde guy looking intensely at him, and he could see that he was not very happy at the close proximity between him and Hinata.

He walked down the hall towards her room, the one at the end, and Orihime held the door open for them. Once they were inside she smiled before she closed the door leaving them alone. He helped her to her bed and saw that her sheets were purple, he remembered he still had her phone and took it out and placed it next to her pillow, he had a strong feeling her favorite color was purple. Before he could stop himself he was tucking her in, but saw that she was content. He didn't feel the need to talk and he didn't really know what to say.

Hinata grabbed the covers and pulled them higher until her neck was covered. "Thank you for everything you did for me today, Tōshirō. Anybody else in your place would not have done the same." She said almost sadly.

He had surprised even himself, he still wasn't sure as to why he had helped her, he didn't know what had compelled him to do so. "There's no need to thank me, Hinata, I'm just glad I was there in the first place."

Her eyes were beginning to close she must have been exhausted. "Will I… see you again?"

She took him by surprise. He had not been expecting that, yet he felt strangely relieved that she wanted to see him again. He smiled at her, something he rarely did, "If you want to… yes."

She gave him his favorite smile and nodded. "Of course I want to… Shiro…" Then she fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Tōshirō sat there at the edge of her bed after she had already fallen asleep, and he continued to look at her. Who was this woman that had entered his life so abruptly? How was it that she had gotten past his walls and gotten him to smile for her so easily, while it had taken his best friend Hinamori years to achieve? He didn't know why he was getting the strong urge that he did want to be around her, he wanted to be a close friend… her best friend. He wanted to be there for her when she needed him. Tōshirō wondered what would have happened if he hadn't stopped the elevator when he did. Would he have met Hinata? What would have happened if he hadn't? He remembered Orihime and her relationship with the Hyūga. He looked down at the sleeping girl and heard her sigh deeply. He smiled for the second time that night. Somehow he just knew that they would have crossed paths eventually.

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><p><em><strong>AN:**_ I'm satisfied with this chapter and I really hope you enjoyed it. I love HinaToshi! Let me know what you thought of this one. Please review… I don't know which one is going to be updated next but I'm updating soon! Thank you for reading. Oh! I just recently became a BETA so if you are interested let me know.

_**-Wyvernhail**_


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